Hit me with your best shot!

Are you giving your business the best shot? Maybe, but maybe not - I had a client the other day 'interview' a candidate and it went a bit like this:

Candidate arrived - Owner seemed flustered and distracted - the interview was on the couch in front of the rest of the team...

Question one (and pretty much the only one) - 'what do you know about my business?'

Next thing said - with a point of the finger - 'that's where you would be sitting'

Rapport was good but no questions were asked about background or skills and the interview lasted just 20 minutes.

Now you might be thinking that the candidate must have been horrendous - well I can categorically say that she wasn't and that this was a missed opportunity. The candidate is hard working, has a great personality, can turn her hand to a wide variety of roles, has small business experience, can pick up new skills and struggles with having nothing to do.

So what did the candidate think of the interview process?

Nice guy - but wasn't focused on the interview. I didn't get to sell myself. I wasn't told anything about the role. I'm not sure I would take the role, even if it was offered.

The problem was that the owner did not sell the role, his business or vision and the first impression created was not a good one. I believe that one of the major success factors for any business is to not just get employees and fill a gap, but to attract and retain the best ones possible.

So was this a missed opportunity? I think so. As SME owners, it is critical to surround yourself with people that are flexible, willing to roll up their sleeves and get stuff done. Typically, people are not taught how to attract talent to their business and select the best people. I believe that this is a key skill for business owners to acquire, to survive and thrive.

Do you have any interview horror stories - either as an employer or as a candidate?

Download and read our free eBook on our Employee Matters Facebook page today to see how it can be done.

Natasha Hawker owns Employee Matters Pty Ltd; an HR Consultancy that assists small to medium businesses with their HR functions to make them more efficient and profitable. Their offering includes HR Management, Recruitment, Training, Coaching, and Exit Management – find them at www.employeematters.com.au